taking a dip
These are weary times. Human credulity is taxed to its limits every damn day by the headlines, and even further by what’s not getting covered the way it should be. And then the sun rises again and the cycle renews. If you are interested in finding a few more grassroots places that are working to stem the tide of hard news, I’ll be posting many tips and pointers over on Instagram in the coming weeks. It’s getting a little too hot in here to pretend the house is not on fire; if we are not actively, daily and energetically part of the resistance, we are part of the problem and there is no way to softsoap that.
Meanwhile we have to eat, have to stay nourished, have to keep the farmers farming and keep tiny joys on the plate. Most everything that makes us say whoa these days seems to have evil all over it but I’ve encountered something pure and kind and utterly new to me and it’s brought light to my days for not much effort or expense.
MAYBE YOU HAVE GUESSED THAT I AM TALKING ABOUT PUTTING CARROTS IN THE BLENDER. All the clues were there.
Not roasted carrots, mind you; I put those in the blender all the time. They are a boon to soups and sauces and even salads, or what passes for salad here in the wintry freezy north. In this case I mean raw carrots, and putting those in the blender is an idea that would have occurred to me on the eleventeenth of never, were it not for the happy gift I received of Amy Chaplin’s new and very gorgeous book.
Captivated by her carrot dressing but lacking some of the called-for ingredients, I refused to be stopped. What sorcery was this notion, this carrots in the blender idea? I had to know.
What I now know is this: there is an excellent chance you will feel happy about putting carrots in your blender.
The recipe below is adapted very lightly from her recipe, the modifications dictated by the state of my pantry. I think it’s clear that the formula of carrots + fresh herbs (a great way to get bang for your produce dollar in the winter) + a nut is a winning combo.
We’ve eaten this as a dip and a dressing and a sandwich shmear. We have been pleased.
creamy carrot dressing
lightly adapted from Amy Chaplin’s WHOLE FOOD COOKING EVERY DAY
2 medium carrots (about 6 ounces), peeled
a handful of fresh chives (Amy uses a 3” piece of scallion)
a handful of fresh parsley
1/2 cup filtered water
1/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios (Amy called for cashews)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon tamari, or to taste
Chop the carrots, if you have a high powered blender, or grate them if you don’t. Coarsely chop the fresh herbs. Put everything up to the salt in the container of the blender and run the blender until the mixture is completely smooth, at least a minute. Scrape down the sides of the blender and add the salt and tamari; briefly blend again. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Use immediately, or store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will thicken after it’s chilled, which is ideal for sandwich uses, but you may need to add a little water if you want to use it as a dressing.
